The Perfect Game
by sickoftonight
Summary: Miley Ray Stewart is finally in college. She's given up being Hannah Montana for a chance to experience college as a normal girl. Nicholas Lucas is a hotshot baseball star who dreams of playing in the major leagues. They're both damaged before they find each other. This is an emotional story about love and forgiveness. (*Completely and totally Niley*)
1. Summary

**Miley Ray Stewart**

****_A college freshman living in an apartment with her best friend, Lily Truscott._

_She's given up being Hannah Montana to go to college like a normal girl._

_No one at school knows who she is._

_But then she meets a boy, Nick Lucas._

_He's the star of the baseball team and has Major League goals._

_The problem? He's a complete playboy._

**Nicholas Jerry Lucas**

****_A college junior who grew up with his grandparents nearby._

_He's a baseball hotshot whose dream is to play in the MLB._

_He meets a girl, Miley Stewart._

_The problem? She wants nothing to do with him._


	2. Chapter 1

I glanced in the mirror at my tired eyes and ran my fingers through my naturally curly hair, attempting to calm down the frizzing pieces.

"Miley, let's go!" my roommate, Lily, yelled from the living room.

"Just a second," I shouted back, giving my hair one last look in the mirror.

This is as good as it gets, I thought to myself. With one last coat of lip-gloss, I'd be ready to go. I looked at my reflection one last time at the pink strappy tank top I was wearing and briefly thought to myself that it would look better with blonde hair.

You see, I know how it would look with blonde hair, because during high school I spent half my time with a blonde wig on, performing under the stage name Hannah Montana. To be quite honest, I was kind of a superstar. I had millions of fans across the world.

When I first wanted to be a professional singer, my daddy suggested I make up a fake identity so that I could still live a normal life. And let me tell you, it worked. No one figured out that I, Miley Stewart, was secretly _the _Hannah Montana.

To this day, only a few select people know Hannah's true identity; my family, my two best friends, Lily and Oliver; and my ex-boyfriend; Jake Ryan. When I decided that I wanted to go to college like a normal eighteen-year-old girl, I gave up being Hannah. Maybe one day I'll return to that, who knows.

"Miley, come on!" Lily whined from the living room. I'd become so wrapped up in old memories that I'd forgotten that we were leaving. "Let's go!"

I walked out of my bedroom and into the living room.

"Lily, we're just going to a frat party. You can't even be late for a frat party," I spoke as I put my cell phone and a ten-dollar bill into my pocket.

"The good guys will all be taken if we're late, Miles," she complained as she ran her fingers through her stick-straight blonde hair.

"There aren't even any good guys at frat parties." Lily and her boyfriend, my other best friend, had broken up right before we left for college. Oliver was going to college on the east coast while Lily and I were attending college back home in California.

Lily hadn't wanted to be stuck in a long distance relationship, so she promptly broke it off with Oliver a week before we left. He wasn't expecting it so needless to say; he was completely devastated. I spent a good part of my last week at home calming him down after the breakup.

I put my arm around my best friend and led her out the door. Lily and I have been best friends ever since I moved to California in middle school. I grew up in Tennessee, so yes; I have a bit of a southern accent at times.

When we both got into the same college, my daddy requested that we live in an apartment near campus instead of in the dorms, so we happily obliged.

The night air was cold on my uncovered skin as we walked the ten-block walk to the fraternity house. Back in high school, my daddy would never have approved of me going to a party like this, so it was one of the first things Lily and I decided to do upon entering college.

As we got closer to the large house, the sound of loud hip-hop music filled all the surrounding air. Lily said something about loving the song that was playing, but the music was so loud that I could barely hear her.

She pulled me in the direction of the house and as we jogged through the driveway, I caught a glance at the most amazing chocolate-brown eyes. He ran his hand through his curly, dark brown hair before glancing over at me, a small smile covering his face.

"No way, Miley, you are not looking at him," Lily spoke, tugging my arm so I would look in her direction instead of at the guy. I turned back over to look at him, but he'd looked away from me by then. "You know who that is, right?" she asked me.

"Obviously not, or else I'd be talking to him right now," I responded cheekily.

"You have to have heard of him," Lily spoke. "That's Nick Lucas."

"Oh," I realized, "so that's the infamous Nick Lucas?"

"That's him," Lily said before placing her arm around my shoulder.

Everyone at school had heard of Nick Lucas, he was practically royalty around here. He was a junior here and pitcher of the baseball team. Almost every newspaper article about this school was about him. After this season, he'd be eligible for the Major League Baseball draft and everyone said he'd get drafted within the first few rounds.

I don't know much about baseball, but I do know that's a pretty big deal.

"Is he really that good?" I wondered, more to myself than to Lily.

"He certainly seems to think so," Lily replied, nodding over at Nick who was chatting up a girl on the front porch of the fraternity house.

"What is it with you and cocky assholes?" Lily asked when she noticed I'd looked back over at him. I shot her a confused glance and she rolled her eyes at me. "Come on, first Jake and then Jesse, and now Nick? He's just another jerk that you should stay away from," she warned.

"Oh come on," I said, placing my hand lightly on my hip. "I'm a big girl, I can take care of myself."

"Look, Miles, just promise me you'll stay away from him. That guy is bad news. He'll hook up with a girl and all of her friends and never call them again," Lily warned.

"I promise I'll stay away from him," I spoke, looking at her through my eyelashes.

"Don't say I didn't warn you," Lily spoke, rolling her eyes at me. She pushed through the crowd and into the house, leaving me alone in the mass of people in the parking lot.

Nick walked over to where I stood and I couldn't help but notice the way his tight-fitting gray baseball shirt accentuated his muscular arms. He narrowed his eyes at me and seemed to be undressing me in his head. What a pig.

"So you know Lily?" he asked; his voice was just as sexy as I'd imagined it.

"Yes," I scoffed, "she's my best friend. How do you know her?" I questioned. Lily hadn't mentioned that she'd known him on a personal level.

"We have a class together," he spoke, though he didn't seem to care. He glanced at me again before speaking. "You have beautiful eyes."

"What do you want?" I asked, rolling my 'beautiful' eyes at him. My voice came out harsher than I wanted, but I didn't apologize

"I just wanted to meet you," he spoke. "I'm Nick Lucas." He stuck his hand out and I took it. His firm hand grasped mine and shook it gently.

"I know who you are," I spoke brazenly, pulling my hand away from his. He was stunning; he was amiable; and above all, he was a man-whore.

"So you've heard of me, huh, Kitten?"

I rolled my eyes at the nickname he'd given me. "'Kitten'?" I asked, "Do I look like a stripper?"

He looked me up and down and before he had the chance to speak, I interrupted his thoughts. "On second thought, never mind. You're an asshole."

Before he had the chance to respond, I turned away and walked into the house to find Lily. I found her inside drinking out of a red plastic cup.

"What'd he say to you?" she asked, pulling me to the side. I grabbed a drink and rolled my eyes.

"Nothing. He's an asshole."

Lily gave me an 'I-told-you-so' look before shrugging her shoulders. "Whatever, he doesn't matter."

We turned around to walk back into the room, and there was Nick on the couch, lips attached to a skimpily dressed blonde.

"And he'll just sleep with her and never talk to her again?" I wondered. "And the girls know that?" _Are girls really this desperate to be with him?_ I asked myself as he led the girl away by the hand.

That was the first time I met Nick Lucas.

Nick Lucas, who was apparently the next big thing in the baseball world. I'd heard that he throws somewhere around ninety miles per hour when he pitches.

That's fast, if you didn't know.

A couple days later, I walked into the student union after class to look meet up with Lily. The student union was a popular hang out spot on campus, partially because there was a large menu of food to choose from.

I spotted Lily across the room and she waved me over towards her. I waved at her and bought my lunch before weaving through the conglomeration of students towards the table she was sitting at.

I almost made it there, too, when I was stopped by a sultry voice.

"Kitten."

I stopped in my tracks and turned around, rolling my eyes at Nick. He adjusted the baseball cap on his head and I was mesmerized by the way he looked. It wasn't fair that he was so good-looking.

I turned away to walk back over towards Lily, but Nick moved so that he was in my way. I tried a couple times to move out of the way, but he wouldn't let me.

"Come on, Nick. What do you even want?" I questioned angrily.

"Are you always this unfriendly?" he asked with a small smile.

"Actually, no," I spoke. "Just to you." I didn't wait for his answer before pushing my way past him and towards Lily.

"I'll see you later," he shouted from behind me.

"Doubt it," I muttered under my breath.

I threw my lunch tray down on the table Lily was at with a huff. She giggled at me and glanced around; the entire lunchroom was eyeing either Nick or me. I rolled my eyes, hoping no one thought I was the latest girl on Nick's list.

I took the plastic off my sandwich as Lily ogled me. I glanced over at the table Nick was sitting at only to see that giddy girls surrounded him and were fawning over him. His eyes met mine before I looked away, trying to ignore that my heart beat sped up.

After conversing with Lily for a few minutes, I heard shouts over at Nick's table. Curiosity getting the best of me, I glanced over there and say a boy who looked a lot like Nick, only younger.

"Who's that?" I questioned, seeing Lily also looking over there.

"Oh him? That's Nick's younger brother, Logan. He's nothing like Nick, he's a total sweetie," she added with a smile.

"You like him!" I exclaimed playfully.

"I do not," Lily replied defensively. "I was just saying that he's nothing like his brother."

"It's okay to like Nick's brother," I teased.

"Whatever," she replied, rolling her eyes at me. "But I swear to god, Miley. Don't fall for Nick, he's a complete playboy."

"I'll steer clear of him," I responded. "I hear you."

* * *

**Review and I'll post the next chapter :)**


	3. Chapter 2

I stepped out of the Fine Arts building and felt the warm sun on my skin. I glanced around at the nearby students and felt a cool breeze graze across my face. Some students were rushing to various classes, some fought for sunny areas on the commons.

I walked over towards the student union where masses of people walked in and out. When I walked in, my eyes immediately fell on Nick and his group of girls. I didn't know how I hadn't seen this spectacle the last couple weeks, because now it was all I saw.

"He just loves the attention, doesn't he?" I complained as I sat down across from Lily at the table she was at.

She rolled her eyes at my whining when someone came up behind us.

"Hi, Lily," the voice spoke.

"Hi… Logan," Lily responded in a flirty voice.

"Mind if I sit here?" he asked with a smile.

"Oh, of course," she spoke. Logan placed his slice of pizza on the table and sat down next to Lily.

"I'm Logan," he spoke to me, stretching his hand across the table.

"I'm Miley. Lily's best friend." I reached for his hand and squeezed it.

"It's nice to meet you," he replied.

Logan and Lily began to talk about something that was covered in the class they had together today and I zoned out, thinking about how different college was from being Hannah Montana. There was a big difference in how my life was now.

A typical day of being Hannah Montana consisted of traveling to a concert arena that I'd never been to or to an interview or something, spending hours backstage getting my hair and makeup done, and then performing or being interviewed. It was tiring; I'll give you that. But being in college is so different; it's so freeing. My daddy isn't around all the time telling me what to do, and there are classes, hard classes to be specific.

"Logan, what are you doing over here?" Nick's voice reverberated through the student union. I snapped out of my thoughts and glanced up at him, only to find him staring at me.

"I see you've met my brother, Kitten," Nick spoke before winking at me.

"Yeah, he's nothing like you, thank god. I think I might be able to tolerate him," I spoke, shooting a playful smile towards Logan.

"Need some help getting rid of all that hostility?" Nick asked with another wink.

"I'd rather die," I responded, hoping my anger was showing. "Go torment someone else."

He sat down next to me and grinned over at me. "Why so angry, Kitten?" A smirk covered his beautiful face as he looked over at me. "Oh, you'll come around. You can't resist me forever."

With that, he got up and walked away smiling. Logan attempted to defend his brother but I just rolled my eyes in reply.

I took a bite of my salad as Nick walked back over, slipping a napkin into my hand without speaking. I glared at him as I shoved it into my pocket, only catching a glance of what it said. All I could see were some phone numbers. What a pompous asshole.

Lily and Logan glanced at me skeptically, clearly wondering what the napkin said. "Oh, it's nothing," I spoke, smoothing my hand through my hair. "I have a class, I'll see you guys later."

I got up from the table and slung my bag over my shoulder and threw out my trash, including the napkin Nick had given me, before walking out the door of the student union. Nick pulled away from his groupies and caught up with me.

"I expect you to call me, Kitten."

"Oh, was that your number?" I mocked. "I thought it was a napkin, I threw it out." This was the first time I thought I'd caught him off guard, because he looked over at me with a somewhat sad look on his face. He seemed to recompose himself before speaking again.

"Come to my game tonight!" he yelled as I walked out the doors, not bothering to grace him with a response.

I opened the door to our small, two-bedroom apartment. There weren't many apartments available around the campus, so this was the best my daddy could find.

Various papers were scattered across the counter and I threw my backpack on top, not caring about the mess. I glanced over at Lily who was watching TV on the couch, eating a bowl of ice cream. I headed into the kitchen and grabbed a can of Diet Coke and a bag of salt and vinegar chips from the cupboard.

"Miles, we're going to the baseball game tonight," she informed me. It was all I could do to not spit out the sip of Diet Coke that was in my mouth.

"You might be, but I'm not," I spoke seriously.

"Come on, everyone goes to the baseball games. It's like Tree Hill and high school basketball." I looked over at her, clearly confused. "Don't you watch any TV? _One Tree Hill_."

"You know, I didn't really have time for TV in high school, I was kind of busy being a popstar," I joked. It was true though, I spent most of the afterschool time that I wasn't doing schoolwork being Hannah instead of watching TV like normal high school girls.

"Whatever," she spoke with a laugh. "But still, everyone goes to the games. It's kind of a big deal."

"Really?" I asked, placing my soda can on the table next to the couch and sitting down. I popped open the bag of chips and took one out, making a loud crunching sound as I placed it into my mouth.

"Yeah, there's a ton of scouts there and reporters and stuff. It'll be fun, come on," she spoke, practically begging.

"Fine," I spoke, dejected. I knew that I'd end up having to go with her before the season was over, so why not get it over with? Her squeals filled the air and I couldn't help but be excited as well. I popped another chip in my mouth and rolled my eyes.

The great thing about having an apartment only a couple blocks from campus is that we can walk virtually everywhere. My daddy refused to let me bring my car up to school with me because there was hardly any parking around school.

That being said, Lily and I walked the few short blocks to the stadium. The lights of the stadium were the first things I saw. We walked towards the entrance, seeing the huge groups of people waiting to be let in. The line to get into the stadium was immense.

Once we finally got in, Lily inspected the seat numbers on our tickets before leading us there. Just my luck, the seats looked right into the team's dugout.

"We are _not_ sitting here," I spoke.

"Yes, we are. Plus, the game's sold out."

I pouted slightly but she only laughed at me.

"I didn't want Nick to know I was here, but now he'll definitely see me."

"He won't see you, Miles," Lily spoke. "I hear he doesn't look into the stands, like _ever_. Don't worry."

Soon enough, the announcer's voice filled the air around us.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Johnson Field! We have a completely sold-out crowd tonight. Taking the mound against our rivals from Nevada is the one, the only, Nick Lucas!"

When he announced Nick's name, the stadium erupted with cheers, screams, and shouts. I looked over at Lily, shocked at the true marvel that this was.

Nick walked confidently towards the mound in the center of the field. He looked serious and confident, not the playful guy I'd talked to in the student union.

"It sucks how good he looks in the uniform, right?" Lily questioned. I nodded in agreement.

"Why does he have to be so hot?"

"Cause he's a jerk; they're always hot," Lily reminded me.

I watched Nick strike the first batter out, throwing a ninety mile-per-hour pitch.

"Holy shit," I spoke to myself.

When the game finally ended, Nick had pitched all of the nine innings, only giving up one run in the process. I got up from my seat, waiting to be let out of the stadium, as the coach pulled Nick towards a group of reporters.

It was then that he glanced up from the field and looked directly into my eyes. The look stopped me in my tracks, and I slammed right into Lily. He smiled and turned his attention towards the reporters.

"What was that?" Lily questioned, smoothing over her shirt.

"Uh... sorry," I spoke, not giving her any explanation.

* * *

**I finally have my computer back! I have a couple chapters of this written already, but I'll continue writing more.**

**I'd love some reviews :)**


	4. Chapter 3

After my French class, I texted Lily to see if she was still on campus or not; it turned out that she was in the student union. I replied that I was on my way. I walked towards the student union, trying to ignore girls that were glancing at me and whispering Nick's name to each other.

When I got to the student union, I looked around in the crowd to Lily and saw her sitting in the middle of the room with Logan. I grabbed a container of fries from the food line before joining them.

As I dipped my first french fry in the ketchup, Nick slid his body into the seat next to mine,

"I thought you weren't coming to my game?" he asked, rather arrogantly.

"Lily forced me," I spoke, trying to avoid his eyes while scooting my body away from his.

"So, now I know how to get you to go out with me: force."

"I'm not going out with you," I spoke harshly, turning my head away from him.

"Can I at least have your number?" he questioned.

"Nope," I spoke, popping the 'p'.

"And why not?"

"Don't want to," I replied as I dipped two fries into the ketchup. Nick stole a fry and I glared at him.

"Come on, Kitten."

"Quit calling me that," I spoke, rising from the table. "See you later Lil."

I threw the remainder of my fries into the trash as I left the student union and headed towards the Fine Arts building for my class.

"Kitten, wait up!" I heard Nick shouting behind me, drawing everyone's attention.

"My name isn't Kitten," I spoke as he caught up.

"I don't know your real name though," he spoke, rather timidly for him.

I sighed loudly, really needing to get to my next class. "It's Miley."

"It's really nice to meet you, Miley." The way he said my name made my heart skip a beat. I could see why girls throw themselves at him.

"You too," I muttered, not meaning it. So far it hadn't been nice meeting him.

"Come on, go out with me, Miles," he spoke softly.

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because you sleep with any girl who even looks at you," I replied audaciously.

When I reached the Fine Arts building, he followed me in. I got to the classroom door that my class was in and I walked down into the lecture hall. "See ya."

"Are you going to be this adverse on our date?" he shouted.

Every head in the room turned to look at me. I groaned to myself, silently praying that my cheeks wouldn't turn red. I closed my eyes and took a few deep breaths before I heard Nick whispering behind me.

"Come on, I want to go out with you," he spoke genuinely.

"Get out of here," I whispered back, my tough façade falling.

"Just promise me that you'll think about it." He gave my shoulder a squeeze before walking out of the hall.

When class ended, I walked out of the building and saw Nick surrounded by a group of girls. No surprise there. His eyes met mine and he jogged over to me.

"Stop stalking me," I breathed as he caught up with my pace.

I turned to walk away and he shouted over towards me, "just let me take you out; one date. If you have a horrible time, you'll never have to go out with me again."

That doesn't sound _too _bad, I thought to myself.

"Just one date and then you'll go away?" I considered the idea. He pushed his lower lip out and gave me the most adorable pouting face I'd ever seen. "Fine, just _one_," I shouted back at him, rolling my eyes simultaneously.

He smiled broadly as I walked away.

What did I just get myself into?

I sat down on the floor of my bedroom trying to get ready for this date. Lily stood by my closet, trying to figure out what I should wear.

"This is a bad idea," I said, burying my face in my hands.

"Maybe it won't be so bad?" she asked, biting down on her bottom lip.

I groaned loudly, contemplating my biggest worry. _What if I started to like him? _I couldn't lie to him about who I was in high school; Hannah Montana. I couldn't tell him either though, he'd freak out. What if he passed out like Oliver did when I told him? Nick would probably even be intimidated of my celebrity status, like Jake was.

The doorbell rang and my heart caught in my chest. I wasn't ready for this.

"I'll go keep him company until you're ready," Lily said.

"Thank you." I sighed and pulled on the white lace sundress that Lily had picked out. I ran my brush through my hair that I had straightened this morning and brushed a light pink colored gloss on top of my lips.

I walked out into the living room and heard Lily and Nick's conversation stop as Nick caught sight of me.

"You look adorable, Kitten," he spoke, practically purring.

"Nope, I'm not going," I replied, turning back towards the hallway.

Nick caught my wrist before I could walk away. "I'm sorry, Miley."

"Let's just get this over with," I spoke, pulling my purse over my shoulder.

Nick led me in the direction of his car, and not knowing which one was his, I followed one step behind the whole time. He finally walked over to the passenger side of a Ford truck and opened the door. He took me by the hand and helped me up into the seat.

Once he shut my door, he walked around to the driver's side and hoisted himself up into the seat. We both attached our seatbelts and he began to drive.

"Shit," he muttered.

"What is it?" I asked, concerned.

"I meant to ask you before we left, but you're so feisty that you make me forget things." I glanced over at him curiously and he looked at me briefly before returning his attention to the road. "I meant to ask if you eat meat or not?"

"You're asking if I'm a vegetarian?" I asked confusedly.

"Yeah," he said, letting out an exasperated sigh.

"Why?"

"Because I'm taking you to the best burger joint in town."

"I'm not a vegetarian," I spoke with a slight laugh.

When we arrived at the restaurant, I hopped out of the car as quick as I possibly could. We'd engaged in a little small talk, and he kept calling me Kitten. Every time he did it, I threatened to get out of the car at the next red light we hit.

The restaurant seemed to be a converted old ice cream shop with only a few items listened on a chalkboard above the kitchen. Nick told me to sit down anywhere and that he'd order for us. Soon enough, he came over to the table I'd sat at holding a tray with two huge burgers and two things of fries.

He sat down and ran his fingers through his curly brown locks. "You're different," he spoke as I placed a fry into my mouth.

"How so?" I wondered.

"You're sassy. I never know what you're going to do next. And, you're not impressed by me."

I rolled my eyes at him. "Oh, I know how tough that must be for you; you're just so impressive," I joked. "Really though, I'm just not impressed by much."

He looked at me thoughtfully and shook his head, trying to hide a smile.

"So tell me, Miley. What's your story?"

I looked around nervously before taking a sip of my water, trying to avoid the question. "What do you want to know?"

"I don't know, where are you from?" he questioned.

"Malibu," I replied. It wasn't entirely true. The last place I lived _was _Malibu, but I grew up in Tennessee. He didn't need to know that just yet, though. "What about you?"

"I grew up ten minutes from here."

"Really?" I wondered. "Did you ever think about going anywhere else?"

"I got offered from everywhere, you name it and they wanted me." I leaned closer to him, interested. "I wanted to stay near my grandparents," he said in a low voice.

He reached across the table and placed his hands over mine.

"My parents left; both of them. That's why my grandparents raised Logan and me," he spoke suddenly after a few moments of silence.

I looked at him sympathetically.

"I'm so sorry," I spoke. "My mother died when I was young, I know how it feels," I squeezed his hands lightly and he forced a small smile.

"I don't know who would leave you," Nick spoke sweetly.

"Likewise."

Once we finished our meals, Nick drove me home and parked in one of the visitor spaces in the parking lot. He turned the car off and glanced over at me.

"When did you start playing baseball?" I asked; it was something I'd been wondering all night.

"When my parents left, my grandparents signed Logan and me up for as many sports as they could think of. They thought it would help us." A small laugh escaped from his lips. "My grandma says that I would cry when the season would end."

I laughed, imagining it. "That's cute."

He swallowed hard. "Being on the pitcher's mound is the only thing I'm good at. It's the only thing in life that I haven't screwed up. When I'm on the field, everything else fades away, you know?" He looked over at me and nodded.

Oh boy, did I know what he meant. That's how it felt for me when I was on stage as Hannah. The second I had the wig on and was up on stage singing, all my woes and fears faded away. And I was good at it, real good at it.

"I know what you mean," I spoke. He shot me a confused glance. "That's a story for another day."

Nick smiled at the prospect of there being another date.

"You know, I like this side of you."

"Don't get used to it," Nick spoke, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Way to ruin a good moment with your shitty attitude," I spoke, reaching for the door handle.

"I'm sorry, Miles. I'm not good at this." His hand gripped my shoulder, pulling me towards him. "I don't really have conversations with girls," he reluctantly admitted. I rolled my eyes at him before he continued. "I just have a hard time trusting people-" he started to explain.

"I know you do, and you have every right. But sooner or later you have to let people in."

The second the words escaped from my lips I knew what I'd meant.

I wanted him to let me in. By 'people', I meant me. Shit.

Nick leaned toward me and I could feel his warm breath on my cheek. He cupped my cheek in the palm of his hand and whispered softly. "I'm going to kiss you right now."

I felt my heart hammering inside my chest as he leaned forward.

"This doesn't change anything," I stuttered, feeling my defenses fading as his lips neared mine.

"It changes everything."

I felt my eyes close as his lips weakened any chance of me protesting. I lost myself in his kiss. His tongue parted my lips and I allowed him to explore my mouth. He was gentle, gentler than I'd expected. I felt my heart seize when his tongue flickered in my mouth. Nick tangled his fingers in my hair and tugged lightly. I lifted my hand to the side of his face and caressed the lines of his cheek before pulling him closer.

Much to my dismay, he pulled away soon. Our mouths parted with one final peck.

"It changes everything," he repeated in a husky voice.

* * *

**FINALS ARE OVER! And my first half of my freshman year of college is complete! I'm so excited!**

**Thank you guys so much for ten reviews on the last chapter! Maybe another ten for chapter four to be posted? :)**

**I just want to take a minute to thank everyone who's reviewed this story, and from now on I'll thank people every chapter. So thank you to; JBDFavoriteGurl, nienlovesjonas, sojustflywithme, MissyQueenyB, stateofgracez, DecimatedDreams, jonasluvr4ever21, Alecks454, Nileyfreakk, lifesaclimb11, Simar and all the guests.**


	5. Chapter 4

**NICK**

**_One month later_**

Miley didn't speak a word after our kiss that night. She tucked her hair behind her ear and hopped out of my car before running through her apartment door. In some ways, she was so much like me. Neither of us trusted people. Well, she didn't trust me, at least. But I knew there was something more to her. Miley Stewart didn't need rescuing, but something in me wanted to save her.

She wanted to see that she was different from all the other girls I'd been with. She didn't want to be one of the many. But trust me, Miley Stewart could never be one of the many. Miley didn't realize that she was already unlike all of the other girls I've been out with. I _never_ go out on dates with the others. We would always hook up at a club or a party, something I'm good at. With a beer in my hand, I can do anything.

Every time I asked Miley out, it was in the daylight and I was completely sober. There was no audience watching our every move. I've never done that before. I don't know why, but Miley Stewart made me nervous as hell.

Ever since the first time I called her 'Kitten' and she looked like she wanted nothing more than to punch me, I've wanted to kiss her.

The first thing I did to prove to her that I wanted to be with her was ditching my usual table in the student union with all of the giddy girls to sit with Miley and Lily, and sometimes Logan. The other thing I did was turning away every girl who came on to me. And let me tell you, that is easier said than done. Girls don't like being rejected.

I made myself a regular at the apartment that Miley shared with Lily. I tried to spend as much time with her outside of school as possible. At the apartment, Miley and I had become masters at making out. Making out wasn't something I often did before. I didn't know you could spend hours just kissing a girl and nothing more.

I snapped out of my thoughts and filled my tray up with a ton of food and made my way over to the table in the student union that Miley was sitting at. I tried to avoid eye contact with as many girls who tried to catch my eye as I could, but that's easier said than done.

One girl, whose name I can't remember for the life of me, caught my arm, preventing me from walking any further. "What?" I snapped, not interested.

"I thought maybe you'd want to come with me to our sorority formal, Nick?" She batted her eyelashes ridiculously, making her look even less attractive.

"No," I spoke simply. The smile fell from her face. "Goodbye."

I walked away and placed my lunch tray on Miley's table, sliding in next to her. I threw my arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer to me, caressing her soft skin with my thumb. I kissed the top of her head before letting her go back to eating her lunch.

"Sorry about making you the center of attention, Miles," I spoke.

"I suppose it comes with the territory." Her cheeks were tinted pink.

"The territory of being Nick freaking Lucas' girlfriend," Lily added, laughing. Her face then turned serious and her attention turned towards me. "Nick, I still think you're an asshole, but I guess you've grown on me. Still, if you break Miley's heart, I'll break your arm."

"Got it," I spoke, stifling a laugh. For some reason, Lily didn't intimidate me. I turned to Miley with what I hoped as a serious expression. "You know I'd never purposely hurt you."

Miley rolled her eyes at me. "You're aware that's not reassuring in any way?" she questioned, making me wish I could take back my words.

"I don't want to make promises I can't help, so I can't promise you that I'll never make you angry at me," I spoke, trying to soothe her worries.

Lily playfully rolled her eyes at us as I slung my arm over Miley's shoulder causing us to both shoot her inquisitive looks.

"It's just… I've never met anyone more scared to let someone love you than either of you," Lily spoke timidly.

Miley began to defend herself before Lily interrupted her. "Lily, you know why I'm like this, you know better than-"

"I know, I know," Lily spoke.

I looked at Logan curiously, wondering what they meant. He shrugged his shoulders in response.

"What do you guys mean?" I asked, my voice coming out more curious than I meant it to.

Miley looked flustered and her cheeks reddened. "Oh, uh… nothing?" she replied, as more of a question than a statement.

I raised my eyebrows at her, deciding to let it slide for today.

"You're both so screwed up, but together you're like the perfect mess," Lily continued, obviously referring to the story of my parents leaving on my end.

Miley hadn't betrayed my trust by telling her best friend, but one night when we were hanging out in their apartment watching tv, Lily dragged it out of me.

A pout formed on Miley's face, and I grabbed her hand and squeezed lightly.

"Hey, I'll be your perfect mess any time," I spoke, kissing her on the cheek.

"So when do you leave for Texas?" Logan asked, changing the subject completely.

"We fly out Thursday morning. Why do you ask?"

"Just wondering."

Miley turned to face me. "What do you do when you're there? Like how does it work?"

I laughed at her inquisitive nature. "We fly in the day before our game and we check in at the hotel. We usually practice and work out and then have dinner as a team."

"Are there like... bed checks?" she wondered.

"Yeah, Coach usually comes by and makes sure everyone's in their rooms by ten."

Her face softened. "Any other rules?"

"No girls, no drinking," I said with a laugh.

She squeezed my hand lightly. "I'm sure you guys always follow those rules, right?" she spoke jokingly.

"Uh… nope… never," I spoke, not wanting to get into it.

The truth was that in the past, I'd pick up girls when we went out at night just like the rest of the guys and sleep with them and never call them again.

"Look," I began, "I'm a changed man now, I promise."

**MILEY**

I paced back in forth in the kitchen as I played with the necklace wrapped around my neck nervously as I waited for Nick to arrive. Tomorrow morning, he was leaving for their away game in Texas and was spending the night tonight.

"Why are you pacing, Miles?" Lily asked, pulling her eyes away from the textbook in front of her. "What's wrong with you?"

"I don't know, Lil, I'm freaking out," I admitted in a quiet voice.

"About what?" she questioned. "I haven't seen Nick even lay his eyes on another girl since your first date, he's not going to cheat on you," she consoled.

I took a big sip of the Diet Coke in front of me and forcefully swallowed.

"It's not that…" I spoke, although in the back of my mind I couldn't deny that I was a little bit worried about that very thing. "I don't get why Logan can't take him to the bus tomorrow, why does he want me to do it?"

Lily sighed. "He just wanted to do something nice for you," she spoke.

"How is that nice?"

"He's leaving you your car and last time I checked, your car is sitting in your driveway at your dad's house back home."

"I guess," I gave in. "But why does he have to stay over?"

Lily slapped her head playfully. "So that's what this is about?" she asked. "I'm such an idiot. This is the first night you're spending together. That's why you're freaking out."

I stared at the kitchen's tiled floor, refusing to look up at Lily and have her realize that was exactly what I was worried about.

"I'm not scared," I spoke softly when she gave me a look.

"Yes you are," she spoke. She stood up and walked over to me and pulled her arms around me. "There's nothing to be scared of, Nick's a great guy."

I looked at her curiously. "Not even two months ago, you thought he was the biggest asshole ever," I reminded her.

"Things change, people change," Lily replied.

"I'm just… I'm not ready to give him my heart… or more," I spoke, my nervousness seeping into my voice again.

It's not like I'm a complete prude, but yes, I'm still a virgin. It just never felt right with any of the guys that I dated in high school, not that there were very many.

The knock on the door startled us, so Lily pulled away from me with one last squeeze. "Come in!" she shouted as she strolled back into her room.

The door opened and Nick walked in, carrying his baseball bag in one hand and an overnight duffle bag in the other.

"Hey, Miles," he spoke as he wrapped his arms around me. I felt my knees begin to shake as he nestled he lips against my neck.

"You hungry?" I asked with a nervous smile, hoping he wouldn't notice.

"Starved," he replied, his lips meeting mine.

All my thoughts disappeared as I lost myself in his mouth. He rested his hands on my hips as he pulled me closer, until our hips were touching. I wrapped my arms around his neck and ran my fingers through his curly brown hair.

Nick pulled away, all too soon, although I felt out of breath. I leaned against the counter for a couple seconds until I was sure my legs weren't shaking anymore. I walked over to the refrigerator and opened the door, not finding much to make.

I turned towards Nick, scratching the back of my neck with my hand. "Um, I make a mean grilled cheese?" I spoke.

Nick walked over to me and wrapped his arms around me. "Grilled cheese sounds perfect," he spoke.

I began to prepare the sandwiches as Lily walked back into the room. "Aw, you look like an old married couple; cooking in the kitchen."

"Yeah right," I replied, rolling my eyes. I put the two cheese sandwiches into a frying pan coated with butter to grill them as I heard my phone ringing in my pocket. I pulled my phone out and saw that my dad was calling.

"Can you watch these, Nick?" I asked, "I have to take this."

Nick nodded and pecked me on the forehead as I headed into my bedroom to take the call.

"Hey daddy," I spoke as I picked up.

"Hey bud," he spoke.

"What's up?"

"Well," he started, almost sounding nervous. "There's a big concert back home in Malibu this weekend."

"Okay…" I spoke, wondering why he was telling me this.

"At the last minute, Mikayla pulled out, you remember her right?"

"Daddy, of course I remember her. She and Hannah were enemies back in the day."

He laughed softly before continuing speaking. "Well, I got a call asking if we could take Hannah out of retirement and perform at the show? It's a big show; a ton of famous people will be there. I told them you'd thinking about it, but you only have until tomorrow, sorry bud."

"Wow…" I spoke, quite surprised. I hadn't expected people to want me to be Hannah again any time soon after I announced that she was going off to college. "I'll think about it. I'll call you in the morning, alright?"

"Sure hun, take your time."

I heard Nick shout from the kitchen that the grilled cheeses were ready, so I had to wrap up the phone call with my dad.

"I gotta go, dad. I love you."

"I love you too," he spoke before hanging up.

I made my way back into the kitchen where Nick was sitting at the counter, biting into a big grilled cheese sandwich.

"What was that about?" he wondered.

"Oh… just my dad. He wanted me to come home this weekend, I told him I'd think about it," I replied. I didn't know when, and if, I would ever tell Nick about Hannah. I didn't think it would be a problem because I wasn't going to be performing as her, but now that I might be, I just didn't know.

"Well, you should go," he spoke.

"Alright… I think I will."

* * *

**I'm so sorry about how long it's been. A lot has happened over winter break. Here's a breakdown: I broke up with my boyfriend of almost 17 months, I got my belly-button pierced with my two best friends, I partied, and I went to Paris. It's been great.**

**I got 15 reviews on the last chapter which is beyond exciting. Thanks to ********jonasluvr4ever21, IWantNiley3.0, Alecks454, Simar, MissQueenyB, Faye, lifesaclimb11, JoJo, wannamakeyoufeelbeautiful, NileyFreakk, NickJisoffmychain2828, nienlovesjonas, JDBFavoriteGurl, babygurl98, and MelodiesWhenYourHeartBeats ****for your all of your amazing reviews. I'd love to get a couple reviews before I post the next chapter just to know if people are still reading.**


	6. Chapter 5

_Warning: There are contents in this chapter that should definitely be rated pg-13 or above. So please don't continue if it may offend you or anything._

* * *

I sat down on the couch with Nick, watching tv. I looked over at him to see that he was staring at me.

"What's up?" I asked.

Instead of replying, his mouth instantly found mine. The rigid muscles in his abs pressed against my stomach. I found myself away of his fingers pressed against the small of my back, pulling me even closer to him.

I maneuvered my hands beneath his shirt and ran my fingers along the curves of his back. His skin was soft yet muscular. I caressed his skin, unable to stop, as our lips never left each other's. Excited tingles shot through my body as he pressed the hardness in his jeans against me. I struggled to catch my breath. Although I wasn't ready to be yet another one of Nick Lucas' conquests, I was finding it hard to resist him when I was this turned on.

"I'm going to get ready for bed," I spoke as I stood up from the couch.

"I'll come with you," Nick called as I walked towards my room.

"No way," I replied, turning around and pushing him back towards the tv. "Go watch ESPN or something?"

"Seriously?" he groaned, his eyebrows pulled together.

"Seriously."

I walked into my bedroom and glanced at myself in the mirror. I assumed Nick thought I was up to something, but I honestly had no intention of doing anything sexual. I wasn't ready, and I knew I'd have to admit that to him sooner or later. It wasn't exactly a conversation I was looking forward to.

I washed the makeup off my face and flipped into a purple tank top and gray pajama pants before going back to the living room.

"You can come in now," I spoke.

Nick's eyes trailed over my body before he sauntered towards me, a smile lining his face. He followed me into my bedroom and shut the door behind us.

"Is it okay if I shower?" he questioned.

"Of course, Nick," I spoke. "There's a towel under the sink."

He slipped his shirt off and dropped it to the floor. My eyes refused to look away as he unzipped his shorts and stepped out of them. I finally forced myself to look away. Staying strong tonight was proving to be harder than I thought.

The shower turned off and he walked back into my room with a towel wrapped around his waist. He fumbled through his bag for a fresh pair of boxers and slipped the towel off and pulled the boxers on.

A blush spread across my cheeks as I looked away.

"Like what you see?" he said with a smirk.

Before I could respond, his mouth was on mine. His tongue was minty from my toothpaste. The warmth of his skin could be felt through my thin pajamas as his lower body was grinding against mine. A moan escaped from my lips as I felt his hardness working against me.

"Miles," he spoke through panted breaths. His touched his lips against my neck, trailing kisses towards my ear. "I want you," he whispered in his raspy voice.

He nibbled on my earlobe as he continued to grind between my legs.

"Nick," I spoke breathily. "Nick, stop."

He stopped moving immediately and he placed his palm on my cheek lightly.

"I want to," I spoke softly. "But not tonight."

I looked at him nervously. In the past, guys had been pissed off when I asked them to stop.

The warmth left my body as Nick rolled onto his side, his body still facing mine.

"It's okay, Miles. I don't want to if you're not ready," he spoke softly, pressing his lips against my forehead.

I smiled, quite relieved at how understanding he was. He hugged me tightly and lay back down on the bed with me in his arms.

"I don't know if it's the right time to tell you this," he spoke. "But I think you should know that I'm falling in love with you.

"Don't screw with me, Nicholas."

"I'm not," he spoke, his eyes refusing to meet mine.

I pressed my lips against his. "Say it," I begged.

"I," he spoke, hesitating. He looked me in the eyes before continuing. "I love you."

Unable to stop myself, I pressed my lips to his yet again. I melted into him, wrapping my legs around his waist.

"Nick," I breathed through the kisses. With those three little words, everything inside me changed. Yearning overwhelmed me as I longed to be connected to him. "I want you."

Nick pulled back slightly. "I didn't say it so we could do this," he spoke, trailing his fingers down my back, causing tingles throughout my whole body.

"I know," I spoke. "I want to." I surprised myself with these words as I continued to grind my pelvis slowly against his.

"Are you sure?" he asked, looking into my eyes.

"Are you really trying to talk me out of it, Nick Lucas?" I teased.

Nick's eyes widened as he watched me scoot out of my boxer shorts, revealing the hot pink thong underneath. He lifted the tank top off my body in one swift motion before kissing between my breasts.

He lowered his body completely onto mine as I dug my hands into his back. I tugged at the waistband of his boxers, trying to lower them. He helped me and slipped them off. I could feel his excitement growing as his body pressed against mine.

"Do you have anything?" he asked.

"You don't?" I asked skeptically.

"I meant to bring one," he explained. "But I forgot it at home."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously," he responded somberly.

He rolled off of me, his disappointment apparent.

"I'm sorry," I spoke. "I just… can't. Not without protection."

I slipped off the bed and pulled my shorts and tank top back on, tossing Nick's boxers towards him. I lay back down on the bed and he wrapped his arms around me.

"It's okay, Miles. Really," he whispered in my ear.

The next morning, I drove Nick to the baseball stadium at five in his car. When we arrived, I looked around at the bus and Nick's arriving teammates.

Nick hopped out of his truck and grabbed his bags from the backseat before meandering to the driver's side where I sat.

"Take care of my baby," he said, patting the top of his truck.

"Uh, it's okay if I drive back home in it, right?" I asked nervously. I was planning to call my dad later, once it was a normal time for people to wake up, and tell him I'd do the concert.

"Of course, Miles," he replied.

His mouth covered mine for a few seconds before he pulled away. "Bye," he spoke, walking on to the bus with his teammates, his two large bags in tow.

On my way back to the apartment, I stopped by Dunkin Donuts to pick up some coffee and breakfast for both Lily and me. I didn't think she'd by up yet, but she could always reheat the coffee.

After getting us both medium coffees and bagels, I drove back to the apartment. I walked through the door, breakfast in hand, and saw Lily sitting on the couch.

"Hey Lil, why are you up?" I wondered.

"Oliver texted me," she replied, her face red.

"What'd he say?" I asked, bringing the breakfast over to the couch and plopping myself down.

Lily handed me her cellphone with the text from Oliver opened. _"Hey Lily-pop. I just wanted to say hi and that I miss you. How's college?"_

I glanced up at Lily, trying to read the expression on her face.

"Have you replied?" I asked.

"No! I have no idea what to say to him."

I took the two bagels out of the bag and handed her one before unwrapping my own. I inhaled a big bite of my everything bagel toasted with cream cheese before replying.

"Just tell him you miss him too. It's true, right?"

"Yeah…" she replied reluctantly. "But I kind of like Logan too."

"I don't know what to tell you, Lil. I'm gonna go take a quick nap before I drive back home."

She nodded hesitantly as I stood up.

"Hey, do you want to come with me?" I asked. "I mean does Lola want to come with me? Dad said it's going to be a big show."

"Sure," Lily spoke as she looked back down at her phone.

After my nap, I called my dad and told him that Lily and I were on our way. The concert wasn't until tomorrow night, but it would be nice to spend a night at home before hand. The drive back home way only about three hours long, so Lily and I were there by two in the afternoon.

I guess my dad heard us pull into the driveway, because he was outside the second we got out of the car.

"Daddy!" I shouted, running into his arms. So what? I'm a daddy's girl! Sue me.

"Hey bud," he spoke into my hair.

The three of us walked into the house and sat down in the familiar living room.

"So, what's that truck you were driving, Miles?" he asked curiously.

"Oh… it's Nick's," I spoke. I hadn't realized that I never told my dad about Nick. Everything happened so fast. "He's kind of my boyfriend."

"That's great, hun," my dad spoke. "He better treat you well."

"He does, daddy."

After talking to my dad for a while, Lily and I decided that it was time to head to our room. When Lily's mom moved away our senior year of high school, my dad let her move in with us so we could finish high school together. Turns out, we all moved that year. Lily and my room is in the guest house.

We walked over towards the house and into our familiar bedroom. Lily flopped down on the bed as I walked over to the closet I'd been coveting since I left home. I switched on the remote and the closet opened.

This was my Hannah Montana closet. I never thought I'd get to wear a lot of these clothes again, so I flipped through the clothes until I found the perfect outfit for tomorrow night. I set the clothes on my desk and pulled one of my blonde wigs out of the closet.

Just to see what I looked like in the blonde wigs these days, I gently placed it on my head. I looked like Hannah Montana again.

My phone vibrated in my pocket with a text from Nick. _"Hey Miles. Just wanted to let you know we got to Texas fine. Are you at home and safe? Whatcha doin' this weekend?"_

I laughed at his protectiveness before replying. _"Nick! Yep, Lily and I are home safe and sound with my dad. Uh I think we're going to this big concert in Malibu tomorrow night, so that should be fun! xo"_

Going to a concert wasn't really a lie, was it? I don't think Nick's ready to know that I'm Hannah Montana. He didn't live under a rock in high school, I'm sure he knows who Hannah is. What if I told him and he fainted like Oliver? It's better not to tell him, at least for now. Right?

* * *

**Thank you to babygurl98, IWantNiley3.0, jonasluver4ever21, jancy, MissQueenyB, Alecks454, guest, Simar, JoJo, TKW, MelodiesWhenYourHeartBeats, lilmskitty3, & happybabe.**

**& to answer happybabe's question, no Miley did not reveal herself as Hannah! At least not yet ;)**

**I'd love a couple more reviews before I post the next chapter!**


	7. Chapter 6

I smoothed down my outfit before looking at myself in the mirror. I'd chosen a layered pink skirt, a simple white tank top, a short sleeve faux leather jacket, and some long necklaces. I matched it with a pair of black high heels. The outfit was definitely more Hannah Montana than Miley Stewart; I probably wouldn't have been caught dead wearing it without the blonde wig.

After placing the last couple pins on my wig, I swiped another coat of bubble gum pink lip-gloss over my lips. I ran my hand through my wig and decided I was satisfied with the way I looked.

I sat down on the couch in my dressing room and pulled out my phone. No new texts from Nick. I tried not to act disappointed, but I couldn't help it. He was probably playing right now anyway.

The stage manager knocked on my door and told me to be on stage in five minutes, as soon as Taylor was done. I sent a quick text to Nick before walking out towards the entrance to the stage. _"I'm uh, at the concert. I'll text you later. xo"_

As soon as I got the cue from the stage manager, I ran out on stage and wrapped Taylor in a big hug. I haven't seen her since I started school. "Great job, Tay," I whispered in her ear.

Taylor sauntered off the stage, which left me with the audience.

"Hello everybody! As you may know, I'm Hannah Montana!" The audience screamed and I smiled. I had missed this feeling. I played some of my old songs, 'I Miss You', 'Nobody's Perfect', 'True Friend', 'One in a Million', and 'Rockstar'. Then I sang some of my newer songs, 'Barefoot Cinderella', 'Que Sera', and 'Gonna Get This'.

I walked to the back of the stage to talk to my band, to let them know I was going to play acoustically by myself for the next song. I sat down on a stool someone pulled out for me and pulled the guitar over my shoulder.

"I wrote this song recently, for someone really special," I spoke into the microphone before singing 'He Could Be The One'.

_"He's lightning, sparks are flying._

_Everywhere I go he's on my mind and_

_I'm going crazy about him lately_

_And I can't help myself from how my heart is racing._

_Think I'm really digging on his vibe_

_He really blows me away, hey!_

_He's got something special,_

_He's got something special._

_And when he's looking at me_

_I wanna get all sentimental_

_I can hardly breathe something's telling me_

_Telling me maybe he could be the one_

_He could be the one, he could be the one."_

"Thank you guys for being such an amazing audience tonight," I shouted into the microphone, the adrenaline surging through me. "I've got one more song for you and it's just for you guys." I began to sing one of my newer songs, 'You'll Always Find Your Way Back Home'. It's one of the songs I wrote when I was back in Tennessee two summers ago, but it was true now too. Even though I was in college, home was Malibu and they were welcoming me back.

_"You can change your hair and you can change your clothes._

_You can change your mind, that's just the way it goes._

_You can say goodbye, you can say hello,_

_But you'll always fine your way back home._

_You can change your style; you can change your jeans,_

_You can learn to fly and you can chase your dreams._

_You can laugh and cry but everybody knows,_

_You'll always find your way back home."_

I walked off the stage, unable to wipe the smile off of my face. I guess I really have missed performing. I hugged one of my best Hollywood friends, Demi, as she was making her way on stage. "Kill it, Dem," I encouraged.

When I got back to my dressing room, my dad, Lily (dressed as Lola), and my brother, Jackson, were waiting for me.

"Jackson!" I shouted. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming?"

"What, you mean it's not a good surprise?" he joked, pulling me into a hug. I smiled against his chest. Though we hadn't always gotten along when we were younger, moving out and going off to college had definitely strengthened our relationship.

"You were great, bud," my dad spoke before kissing the top of my head.

"Yeah, and you looked really happy," Lily added.

"I was…" I admitted, biting my lip softly. "I really missed performing."

I wasn't sure what to do. I love college and I love Nick, but I also love performing as Hannah Montana.

"How about I schedule you a show or two a month?" my dad asked, sensing the dilemma I was debating in my head.

"That would be perfect, daddy!" I squealed.

Now the only problem is telling Nick.

Back at school the following Monday, I sat in my English class. Nick was due to get home sometime tomorrow, and as much as I didn't want to admit it, I was looking forward to it.

Though I was missing him, I was dreading when the time came to see him. I didn't want to lie to him, hell, I don't want to lie to anyone, but I also don't want to tell him the truth.

Every time I tell someone about the secret, there's no way to know how he or she'll react. Some people say they suspected it all along, some will be speechless, or some will even faint. To this day, no one's been downright angry, but there's a first time for everything.

I snapped out of my thoughts as my pencil fell to the ground. I reached down to get it, but sighed dejectedly as I realized it was too far. Abigail, the girl sitting next to me, picked it up and handed it to me with a slight smile.

"Thanks," I spoke softly, taking it from her.

"Hey, you're dating Nick Lucas, right?" she questioned. I nodded hesitantly, hoping she wasn't another one of the girls he'd slept with it in the past.

The lecture ended and Abigail and I stood up, waiting to exit the hall behind the throng of people. The cool air hit my face as I walked outside, glancing sideways as Abigail appeared next to me.

We'd hardly ever spoken before, so I didn't know exactly what she was getting at with this.

"So how'd you get the infamous Nick Lucas to fall for you?" she asked with a small smirk.

"Not a clue," I spoke, running my fingers through my straightened hair.

"Every girl at this school has been chasing him for years," she spoke like I didn't know.

"I'm aware," I spoke, trying to keep the sarcasm out of my voice. "I didn't chase him."

Her eyes widened with this new piece of information. "Ohhh, so he chased you? I guess there's a first time for everything." She pulled a pair of sunglasses out of her bag and slid them over her face. "Guys love the chase," she spoke. "But when you're caught, that's when you have to be careful.

I cocked an eyebrow and looked at her. "What do you mean?"

"I'm just saying that I can see Nick Lucas enjoying a challenge, which it seems that you were. But you're not a challenge anymore because he has you. What's the fun in that?"

I didn't respond, no comebacks were coming to me. The thought hit me that maybe she was right. I'd never thought of it that way, but what if this was all a game to him? With no more challenges, there wasn't a game.

We arrived at the quad and Abigail turned to walk the opposite direction from me. "I have another class, gotta go. I'll see you Monday!"

"Bye," I spoke shortly with a half smile.

I headed to my usual spot to go to after class, the student union. There wasn't nearly as much activity as I was used to. Without the baseball team, the lack of energy was noticeable.

When I opened the door, the usual sound of gossiping girls was nowhere to be found. I swallowed a laugh, finding the whole thing strangely funny, as I headed to Lily and Logan.

Halfway to them, an overly tanned arm reached out to stop me. I looked up and was greeted with a very fake looking blonde, just the kind of girl to lust after Nick.

"Hey, you're Miley right?" I nodded, waiting to see where she was going with this. "I was just wondering if you and Nick are still dating?"

My body tensed. "Why?"

"Well, it's just my friend that went to the game last night texted me this picture. This is Nick, right?" she asked, handing her phone to me.

I could hear her friends giggling behind her as they waited for my reply. I squinted my eyes at the blurry photo, seeing Nick holding a hotel room door open as a skinny, red-haired girl walked into her, her hand on her arm.

"It looks like him," I spoke, forcing myself to keep it together while I walked away.

I walked over to Lily and Logan, trying to keep the tears slowly building in my eyes from falling.

"What was that?" Logan wondered when I got closer.

I sat down and threw my backpack next to me. "Oh that? That was a picture of some bitch walking into Nick's hotel room." The tears threatened to fall as I squeezed my eyes shut.

"No way," Logan spoke, shaking his head.

"Yep," I spoke shortly. I could feel the uneasiness spreading through my body. "I'm such an idiot, I spoke."

"Maybe they're old?" I raised my eyebrows at him, willing him to continue. "Maybe they're old pictures. There are a lot of pictures of Nick and other girls out there, Miley."

"Nick wouldn't do that to you," Lily spoke up for the first time.

"I wouldn't doubt it," I choked out coldly.

Lily frowned at me. "Now, why would you say something like that?"

"Because she knows Nick," Logan said, glancing at Lily before looking at me. "And she's just waiting for him to screw up like he said he will."

"Well I don't believe it," Lily spoke confidently.

"It was definitely him in the pictures." A lone tear fell from my eyes. "And I'm pretty sure he had that shirt packed in his bag." As several more hot teardrops poured down my face, I stood up and rushed to the bathroom.

When I was locked in a stall, I wiped my hands against my face. Why was he making me feel this way? Why did Nick Lucas have this power against me where it made me feel like I was nothing without him?

A knock on the stall door caused me to gasp. "Miles?" Lily questioned softly.

I unlocked the door and she immediately pulled me into her arms, rubbing my back softly.

"Why would he do this?" I asked in a hoarse voice. "Aren't I good enough? Why aren't I good enough for him, Lily?"

"Miley, I don't think you should jump to conclusions here."

"He's never dated anyone before and suddenly I thought he'd be committed to me? What was I thinking, Lily?" She squeezed her arms around me tightly, making the tears fall harder from my eyes.

"It's gonna be okay, Miles, everything will be okay."

* * *

**Don't be mad at me, guys! You know the saying, sometimes things have to get worse before they can get better. And it wouldn't be much of a story if it was all smiles and rainbows all the time, right?**

**I know you're all rooting for Nick and Miley, and trust me, I am too! It'll all work out, I promiseeee.**

**Thanks to IWantNiley3.0, lifesaclimb11, babygurl98, jonasluver4ever21, Simar, MissQueenyB, Jojo, LuluizEmo, TKW, Alecks454, Nileyissoperfect, & lilmskitty3 for all of your lovely reviews. A lot of you guys are reviewing every single chapter and I can't even tell you how happy it makes me when I get emails saying I have a new review.**

**Sooo, you know what I think? I think you guys should all message me on aim, if you have one, and talk to me. You can tell me what you think of the story, give me tips for cute Niley moments, or we can just chit chat. My screenname is peacelovexava and I promise I don't bite, I'm just lonely :) I have some ideas I'd love to bounce off someone, so you might be that lucky person?**

**Okay I would love at least ten reviews for the next chapter, as well. Before I posted any of this story, I had the first five and a half chapters written so this is the first time I'm writing right before posting, so keep me encouraged!**


	8. Chapter 7

After ditching Lily in the bathroom and making a beeline out of the union, my mind wouldn't stop racing. It didn't stop until I finally got to our apartment and fell on top of my bed. I begged my thoughts to disappear so I could find peace in sleep.

The sound of my cell phone startled me, as I'd fallen half asleep. Forcing myself to roll over and check it, I found myself regretting it. I glanced at the screen, which read that I had a new message from Nick.

My heart dropped when I read his name. I pressed the button, letting me read the message. _"Heading to the field. I'll call you after the game. Is everything good, how are you? Miss you."_

I didn't respond. My stomach twisted at I thought about it. I curled into a ball and closed my eyes, begging myself to fall asleep.

The sound of my phone rang loudly from my nightstand, waking me from my sleep. I glanced at the clock, which told me I'd been asleep for only three hours, though it seemed much longer.

The ringtone coming from the phone was the one I'd picked specifically for Nick. When I did it, the song made me happy, but now it made me want to throw up.

I pressed the ignore button, silencing the blaring music. The phone beeped after a minute or so, telling me I had a message. I didn't listen to it.

Another noise came from the phone, telling me I had a text. _"Everything okay, Miles? We won today. Call me when you get this. Miss you."_

I turned off the phone and threw it at the floor, walking into the living room. Lily was sitting on the cough, watching tv.

"Did you really just ignore his call?" she questioned, her eyes not leaving the television screen.

"I can't talk to him right now. I just can't."

I let my body fall down onto the couch next to her and she glanced over at me. "You need to talk to him."

"I can't talk to him about this over the phone. I have to ask him about the pictures and if I'm not looking at him, there's no way to know whether he's lying."

She raised her eyebrows at me. "Whatever, I just didn't think you'd have to be on the phone to decide if Nick's lying or not."

"I don't trust myself when it comes to him," I spoke truthfully. "I'll want to believe anything he tells me. I'll hear his voice and turn to mush."

"This is all about protecting yourself, huh?" Lily asked, sighing.

I nodded.

The sound of Nick's ringtone blared from my room again. "Answer it, Mi," Lily spoke somewhat harshly.

"I can't. I'm sorry." I walked into my room and pressed ignore on the phone again. The phone beeped with another voicemail and then again with a text message. _"Miley, I'm getting worried. Please let me know if you're okay before I lose my mind. I love you."_

I shook my head, turning my phone off. I wouldn't be able to deal with any more text messages or missed phone calls.

I could hear Lily's cell phone ringing in the living room. "Miley, get out here!"

I walked back into the living room slowly. Lily held the phone out in my direction. "Who is it?" I whispered, afraid of what she might say.

"It's Logan," she spoke, thrusting the phone in my direction.

"What?" I asked harshly, putting her cell phone up to my ear.

"Miley, what the hell is going on? Nick's calling me like a mad man; he's flipping out. He said you wouldn't answer his calls or texts!"

"So?" I asked, pretending not to care.

"You have to talk to him, Miley. You can't just ignore him."

"Yes I can!" I shouted into the phone. "He's the one with the girl in his hotel room, not me. Don't talk to me about what's fair!"

"You're too stubborn!" Logan yelled into the phone. I'd never heard him sound this truly angry before, a bad sign for sure. "You're just going to let him go crazy?"

"I can't talk to him right now, Logan. I just can't." I pleaded, hoping Logan would understand. "Just tell him I'm busy. I have a school project or Lily and I are out, I don't care."

Logan sighed into the phone. "Fine. But, Miley, he's not stupid. He'll figure out something's wrong."

"I don't care," I spat.

"Can you please just send him a text? Tell him something to calm him down. Please."

"I'll text him as soon as I hang u," I promised reluctantly.

Logan laughed softly. "Bye, then."

"Wait, Logan. Can you come get his car and pick him up tomorrow?"

"Fine," he spoke.

"Thanks, bye."

I handed Lily her phone before walking back to my room, flopping down on my bed. I quickly typed out a text. _"Sorry, Nick. I was taking nap and now I have an essay to work on. Good luck in the game tonight! xo"_

Less than a minute later, my phone beeped with a response._ "I just hate being this far away from you and having no clue what's going on. I just flipped out on Logan. What have you done to me? Call me if you can. Can't stop thinking of you and the other night…"_

I turned my phone off and leaned back onto the bed.

Worry surged through me when I realized Nick would be home any minute now. I hadn't communicated with him in over twenty-four hours, something that was rare for us recently.

I wondered if I should leave the apartment. There was nowhere to go, though. It's not like I can run home to my daddy whenever something goes wrong. I can't hide from Nick forever. The sooner we had this conversation, the better it would be for everyone.

I paced back and forth in my room. I found it easy to be strong when Nick was hours away and I could ignore him with just a touch on my cell phone, but with him back, it wouldn't be so easy.

I curled up into my bed right before I heard tires squeaking outside. I looked out the window and saw Nick come to a sudden stop in one of the parking spots, as he seemed to be screaming at his younger brother.

He left the car quickly and sprinted out of my sight. Within seconds, he was rapping against the front door. "Miley," he shouted through the door, banging obstinately. "Open up, Miley, it's not what you think."

So much for Logan not saying anything about it to him. My stomach knotted up as I heard the door softly creak open and his voice. "Lily, where is she?"

"Miles? I'm coming in," he spoke on the other side of my closed bedroom door. When he walked in, my heart skipped a beat. I'd forgotten how much I'd missed him.

Nick rushed over to the side of the bed and bent down next to me. "Miley," he spoke softly, "that girl wasn't there for me. It's not what you think."

I glanced at him, looking into his eyes. I didn't want to believe him; I didn't want to be fooled. "I shared a room with Jack. He met a girl at the bar and invited her up. I answered the door, that's all."

"Really?" I asked, the pitch of my voice rising.

"I swear to God," he spoke. He reached for me hands and intertwined his fingers with me. He stood up and lay down on my bed next to me. He leaned over and pressed his lips to mine.

"I missed you," he spoke between kisses. He pulled away before I was done, so I fake pouted at him. "So tell me what happened."

I leaned back on the bed, not wanting to look him in the eyes. "Some girl came up to me in the union yesterday and showed me a picture of this girl going into your hotel room. I freaked out, just a little bit." I smiled timidly.

"And your first thought was that the girl was with me?" he questioned, his voice laced with sadness.

"Yes," I said quietly, shuddering slightly.

"That's not fair, Miles."

"I know." I looked away, embarrassed. "But what was I supposed to think? I saw a picture of you with a girl going into your hotel room."

"How about asking me?" Anger entered his voice quickly, replacing the sadness I'd heard mere seconds ago. "Is this why you were ignoring me? Because you thought I cheated on you?"

"I couldn't have that conversation with you over the phone," I spoke softly. "It's the worst way to confront someone, or tell them the truth they don't want to hear." I knew I was being a hypocrite in more ways than one. I was keeping quite possibly the biggest secret ever from Nick but harping on him about something he hadn't even done.

I knew that I needed to tell him soon, but every time things got good, something bad would happen.

"So instead you just didn't talk to me?" He got off the bed and walked across the room. "Do you know how insane that made me? I was trying to focus on my game and all I could think about is why the fuck my girl is ignoring me." I looked down in my lap at his words. "You can't fucking do that to me when I'm trying to pitch!"

"Nick… I'm sorry, I didn't think…"

"This is bullshit, Miley! I haven't done anything to make you not trust me." His jaw was tense as realization hit his eyes. "That's it, isn't it?" He nodded his head, understanding, before turning to look at me. "You don't trust me," he spoke slowly, enunciating each word.

I avoided his hurt eyes, realizing that he said was the truth. "I… I just don't know, Nick," I spoke, my eyes blurring. "What do you want from me?" My voice cracked with each word.

"I just wanted a fair shot," Nick spoke, beginning to leave my room, "but apparently that's too much to ask." He threw open my bedroom door and I heard the front door slam shut.

"What just happened, Miles?" Lily asked, poking her head into my room.

"Can I borrow your phone, Lil? Please?" I begged, tears continuing to blur my vision. "I just fucked things up, I have to fix it."

Lily walked out of my room, closing the door behind her to give me privacy. Hurriedly typing Nick's number into the pad, I put the phone up to my ear. I listened as it rang twice, then going to voicemail. He was ignoring me.

I walked into the living room and sat down next to Lily, not speaking a word. I cuddled up close to her as I spoke softly, "You were right about Nick."

* * *

**I am so, so, so sorry it's been so long. I'm home from school, taking some time off, and things have been hard. I couldn't get the ending of this chapter how I wanted it, but I figured that you guys have waited long enough so I decided just to post it.**

**The reviews on the last chapter were the only reason I could finish this chapter. I was losing motivation, but you guys helped me get motivated again. Thank you so much. Twenty-one reviews on the last chapter is so much more than I could have asked for. So thank you, lilmskitty3, crazyPridelover, IWantNiley3.0, NileyFreakk, babygurl98, TKW, MissQueenyB, Alecks454, jonasluvr4ever21, Nileyissoperfect, Simar, jojo, grr, me, Meeeeeeee, I LOVE ICHIRUKI, NileyLuver2.0, itsssme, and TKW again. You guys are all amazing.**

**SOOO, next point of business: HOW MANY OF YOU ARE SEEING THE FOR THE FIRST TIME TOUR? I got sixth row tickets and I am beyond excited.**

**One more thing, I have so much spare time right now so I need more fanfiction to read. Soo, if anyone wanted to message me their stories or some of their favorite stories, I'd love them forever :)**


End file.
